PHILIPPINE NEWS SERVICE — TOURISM Secretary Joseph Ace Durano will lead the re-opening of The Peninsula Manila today—four days after renegade soldiers launched a coup attempt at the hotel and forced it to close for repairs.
Durano said security was in place to protect hotels and resorts around the country, which hopes to draw three million foreign guests and earn $4 billion in tourism revenues this year.
“The security measures of our hotels and resorts are sufficient to protect the guests from harm without impeding their movement and enjoyment,” he said.
In a statement, the Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, the holding company operating The Peninsula hotels, said The Peninsula, Manila would re-open at 3 p.m. Monday.
The hotel evacuated its guests to neighboring hotels on Nov. 29 after Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and other renegade soldiers took it over in an attempt to incite another people uprising against the government.
They later surrendered after police stormed the hotel.
It was the third time that armed groups attacked a major hotel and resort in the Philippines.
In May 2001, Abu Sayyaf bandits raided Dos Palmas resort in Palawan and took several hostages.
In July 2003, a group of young military officers led by Trillanes, who called themselves the Magdalo group, took over the Oakwood Premier Ayala Center (now Ascott Makati) at the Glorietta complex.
Durano cited the need to intensify intelligence gathering by the police and military to prevent any more attacks on tourist establishments.
“As far as preventing terror attacks of all types, it is the continuous upgrading of the capabilities of the Armed Forces and the National Police and intelligence gathering and information that will be the greatest security,” he said.
The major hotels and resorts are experiencing occupancy rates of 80 to 90 percent this year on the back of strong international visitor arrivals.
Visitor arrivals rose 8.6 percent 2.266 million in the nine months to September 2007 from 2.086 million in the same period last year.